Developing and evaluating an introduction to evidence-based practice course for staff in a pediatric hospital setting

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is the cornerstone of clinical practice drawing on the best available evidence, clinical practice, and patient preferences. It is a critical component in the provision of high-quality patient care. At a pediatric children's hospital, a course targeted toward EBP education was a priority for its staff nurses and leaders. The aim of the manuscript is to describe this program and overall results.

An Introduction to EBP Course was developed to support the educational needs of staff. The target audience was new graduate nurse residents, all levels of nursing staff and other disciplines in patient care services. The course content included a review of the organization's EBP Toolkit, strategies for effective library searches, critical appraisal and the application of appraisal tools, and a presentation of an actual staff-led EBP project. Diverse learning strategies included didactic presentations, interactive breakout sessions, video display, report outs and Q&A live polls. Post course, attendees evaluated the course.

Eleven courses were held in person or virtually and attended by more than 300 staff. Results demonstrated an increase in knowledge related to the EBP approach, search strategies, the ability to identify various types of research studies and corresponding levels of evidence, attributes of valid and reliable studies, and critical appraisal techniques and application to an EBP project. Attendees also expressed a positive learning experience with the learning strategies, the electronic platform, and quality of presenters.

The course has impact on professional development by providing the necessary tools for staff to carry out a successful EBP project and incorporate EBP into daily clinical practice. Next steps include expanding the audience of the course to the greater community, e-module development, and engaging new leaders as instructors.